A (short) ode to the vegan old-timers

I was laying awake last night, off the back of a classic vegan/ethical/environmental debate, and I suddenly felt an urge to pay respect to those who have been vegan for many years and even many decades.
You did it at a time when you were one of so very few, and likely made to feel as though you were part of a weird cult. A time when availability of vegan options was next to nothing. A time when your ethics were belittled, ignored and laughed at. You stuck to it, and you laid the foundations of this community that we are all now a part of.

Today, the ethics behind it are accepted by many as a reasonable belief system. There is widespread availability and it is growing exponentially. Ever-improving food labelling has made shopping more and more simple. There is science to back the health benefits. Athletes and celebrities endorse it as a lifestyle. It is almost ‘normal’ now.

I have only been vegan for seven months. For want of a better or fairer word, it has been pretty damn easy. That is largely thanks to you. I have had the support vegan friends and strangers alike. A luxury you were likely not blessed with.

So here’s to you, old timers! Here’s to getting the ball rolling. I hope you have found vindication for your past indignation in the upsurge of veganism ❤